Day 1: In-depth exploration of Pingjiang Road
09:00
China-TravelNote flag collection at Xuanqiaoxiang subway station
This road has existed in Suzhou for a thousand years and is still prosperous. You only know it as Pingjiang Road, but you don't know that this place was once called Pingjiang City.
The crisscrossing streets of Suzhou's old quarters have survived the passage of time. Following the 800-year-old "Pingjiang Tu," the presenter will take you on a tour of Suzhou's old city, exploring its grid-like grid of parallel water and land. The flowing waters of Jiangnan not only nurtured the region's talented scholars but also evoked countless romantic stories of the past. Let the presenter share their insights.
Xuanqiao Lane - Lujia Lane - Hu Xiangsi Lane - Dingxiang Lane
Suzhou's millennia-long history is not only steeped in vicissitudes, but also brims with legends of talented scholars and beautiful women. From the romantic love story of the poet Gong Zizhen and Ling Xiao, to the intimate relationship between top scholar Hong Jun and renowned courtesan Sai Jinhua in Xuanqiao Alley, to the bittersweet love story of Tang Na and Jiang Qing in Hu Xiangsi Alley, the lives of scholars and writers are even more captivating than their poetic descriptions. This is a Suzhou that is both familiar and unfamiliar, a place where Suzhou's literati and writers lived beyond their poetic abodes.
Nanshizi Lane - Zhongzhangjia Lane - Niujia Lane
Pingjiang Road is home to the two great Pans (Gui Pan and Fu Pan), and what stories lie within the former residence of Pan Zuyin and the Urban Construction Museum (Ligentang Pan Residence)? The soft Wu dialect, the rhythms of Kunqu opera, Pingtan and Kunqu—one known as the "Flower of Jiangnan Variety," the other as the "Ancestor of All Operas"—have permeated Suzhou's daily life. Wandering deep within Zhongzhangjia Alley, you'll find exquisite ancient opera stages and the museum's treasured "Tangming Lantern Carrying Pillar." The presenter will unravel their stories, showcasing the romantic charm of Three Smiles Chasing the Boat and the search for love in a Garden of Dreams. Together, we'll rediscover the legacy of Suzhou life through these "Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritage." Interested friends can also learn a Kunqu opera lyric from the presenter.
12:30
After the activity, you can continue to stroll around or return to the hotel.
